Former deputy José Manuel Pureza will head the lists of motion ‘A’ to the National Board and the Political Commission of the Left Bloc (BE), cpreparing to succeed Mariana Mortágua in coordinating the party.
According to the lists, to which Lusa had access, approved this afternoon in Coimbra at a meeting of blockers supporting the ‘A’ motion, previously headed by Mariana Mortágua, José Manuel Pureza appears as the first candidate for the National Board (maximum body between conventions) and the Political Commission (body that ensures day-to-day management).
The leader who tops the list for the most voted Table at the National Convention (scheduled for the 29th and 30th of November) normally assumes the role of coordinator – a figure that does not formally exist in the party’s statutes.
José Manuel Marques da Silva Pureza is 66 years old, was born in Coimbra and was elected deputy for this constituency for the first time in 2009, holding the position until 2011, then between 2015 and 2019 and, finally, between 2019 and 2022.
During this period he served as parliamentary leader, becoming vice-president of the Assembly of the Republic. He is currently a member of the BE National Board and, this year, ran for Coimbra City Council.
In second place on the list for the National Board comes Isabel Pires, followed by Fabian Figueiredo, former parliamentary leader of the blocistas, Marisa Matias and João Curvêlo (who is not currently part of this body).
Mariana Mortágua appears sixth on the list, which also includes names that are already part of this body, such as Joana Mortágua, José Soeiro, presidential candidate Catarina Martins, Pedro Filipe Soares, Jorge Costa, Adriano Campos, or Andreia Galvão (who recently replaced Mortágua in parliament), among others.
From a total of 80 names, new candidates appear for the Board, as is the case of former MEP Anabela Rodrigues, or blockers such as Daniel Borges, the councilor in Lisbon Carolina Serrão, António Soares, Joana Neiva or Maria Escaja, municipal deputy in the capital.
From the candidate list for the Political Commission, also headed by José Manuel Pureza, the coordinator Mariana Mortágua (who is only running for the National Board) leaves the list, as well as hard core leaders who are still part of this body and who are not re-applying, such as Jorge Costa, José Gusmão, Leonor Rosas, Pedro Filipe Soares or Moisés Ferreira.
Several of the directors who are already part of the board are re-applying, such as Fabian Figueiredo, Isabel Pires, Catarina Martins, Andreia Galvão, Joana Mortágua, José Soeiro, Marisa Matias and Miguel Cardina.
Among the candidate names that are not currently on the board are blockers such as Bruno Góis, Daniel Borges, João Curvêlo, Mafalda Brilhante or António Soares, among others, out of a total of 11. The list for the Rights Commission is headed by Bárbara Ranito.